Breaking Through
by The Cursed Shadow
Summary: After a car accident, Beca wakes to find Chloe beside her, but the mysterious brunette is scared, something Chloe's never seen before. Can Chloe break through Beca's shell and find out why she's afraid, or will Beca hide her past and push Chloe away?
1. Accidents

Fat Amy began walking out of the hospital, a small pep in her step after seeing one of her 'boyfriends'. Amy didn't really remember the name of this 'boyfriend', but she had gotten a tour of the hospital, even the operating rooms. Well, she'd gotten the tour of the operating room that wasn't in use. She never really considered them to be important, but they did help the time after winning the ICCA competition. Only several days had passed and yet she found herself missing the other Bellas, even Audrey, no matter how difficult it was to admit.

When the Emergency Room doors in front of her opened nurses rushed to the gurney moving through the door. Fat Amy had always been curious about medicine, but never would consider going into it for a profession. She wasn't a fan of blood. Of course she could handle seeing a cut on her arm or something like that, it was no big deal. However, surgeries were an entirely different ordeal. As the nurses and doctors crowded around the gurney and began moving Fat Amy followed them, listening in to the notes about this patient.

"What happened?" one of the female nurses asked. Fat Amy made a note to tell Cynthia Rose about the nurse with the pretty voice sometime.

"Hit by a drunk driver, it doesn't look good. Did we find any I.D.?" the Male doctor asked, and Fat Amy thought of Stacie, but knew Cynthia Rose already had her eyes set on the other girl. Though, it would make things interesting, she was too focused on the nurses and doctors.

"Her college I.D. was in her pocket," the same female nurse said, "Beca Mitchell."

That stopped all of Amy's thoughts in their tracks. Did they say Beca Mitchell? After sneaking a glance over the female nurse's shoulder she saw brown hair sprawled over the top of the gurney. It was Beca; there was no doubt about it. For a moment, Fat Amy began to panic. Her thoughts turned to the worse. What if Beca died? No, that wouldn't happen. She wouldn't tell all the Bellas yet, but if anyone knew what to do there would only be one other person. As much as Fat Amy hated having to make the phone call, she knew it was for the best.

Grimacing as she pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans, Amy searched through her contacts for the number. She hadn't put it in her favorite's list yet, because they weren't exactly the best of friends. Fat Amy chided herself for being so ridiculous in a moment of crisis and quickly called the number.

Immediately she could hear music in the background. It was turned down after a moment, but Amy wanted to hang up. She knew she couldn't, after all she was standing in a hospital.

"It's Aubrey and Chloe, Amy," Aubrey answered from the other line of the phone, obviously skipping the 'hey, how have you been' portion of their phone call.

"Hey, Fat Amy!" Chloe said cheerfully in the background, and she could hear the red head move closer to the phone. "What's up?"

"Look, I just found out something," Amy began, not sure where to start. She never pictured herself in a life or death crisis. "You can't tell the other Bellas."

"What are you going on about, Amy?" Of course it was Aubrey who got straight to the point, the whole control issue. It didn't surprise the larger Bella, but it did irritate her.

"I'm at the hospital, and-"

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Chloe cut her off before she could finish. She knew the red head well enough to know she would be concerned about almost anyone in the hospital.

"It's not me! I'm fine," Fat Amy reassured the other Bellas, but she became very quiet after that.

"Amy, you still there?" after hearing a small 'yeah' from Amy, Aubrey spoke again. "What's happened? Who's in the hospital?"

"It's Beca," she said quietly, hearing gasps from the other line of the phone. "Don't tell the others!"

"We're on our way!" Chloe said before the line went dead. The red head sped around the room searching for a jacket to wear. She could feel the blonde's eyes on her, but at the moment it wasn't the most important thing on her mind.

Beca was in the hospital. Why was Beca in the hospital? Considering the way she acted around everyone else she doubted the brunette liked to go see the doctor. It had to be an emergency. What if she was seriously hurt? What if she had nodes?

"Chloe!" she heard Aubrey's voice pulling her from her thoughts. "Snap out of it! We have to get down there!" Tears formed in the red head's eyes as she nodded.

Aubrey drove, seeing as Chloe was in no condition to drive. Her eyes were constantly tearing up, and though she tried to wipe them away, the blonde had ho trouble seeing her cry. She could see it through the corner of her eyes, and though she would never admit it, Aubrey was seriously worried about the Bella.

Frankly, Beca had recently become their leader. She had brought them to victory, and they had finally become champions because of her. Sure, their relationship wasn't the best in the world, and on occasion they would disagree, but in truth Aubrey was very grateful for the brunette help them be champions.

"What are we going to do?" she heard Chloe's quiet voice from beside her, "What if she…?" Chloe didn't need to finish the sentence, Aubrey knew exactly what she was going to say, and at that the former leader shook her head.

"That's not going to happen. Don't even try to argue it might," Chloe's small smile made her sigh. "We're going to get there and figure out what's going on before we make any assumptions, okay?" The assertion in Aubrey's voice calmed the red head down, it always had, even when they were kids.

"Okay," Chloe replied, her smile turning to a frown again. Her blue eyes turned to the road, trying to figure out how long it would take them to get to the hospital. It was ten minutes too long; it would've been twenty if Aubrey hadn't been driving like a maniac.

They walked into the hospital together, finding Fat Amy in one of the chairs in the front. The larger Bella walked over to them, shaking her head slightly. Her eyes conveyed an anxiety that was shared between the three of them. Chloe's shoulders were tense, and she was preparing for the worst information, but she wouldn't accept it. She managed to calm herself before Amy reached them and gave the younger girl a small smile.

"What do you know?" Aubrey asked, tilting her head to the side and narrowing her eyebrows. Chloe knew the look well. It was the blonde's signature 'tell me what you know' look. The red head had come to find it useful over the years of friendship they'd shared, and it still hadn't lost its purpose.

"Drunk driver slammed into her car," Fat Amy replied, shifting her weight awkwardly. "They said it doesn't look good."

"Wait, how did you even find any of this out?" Aubrey asked, and Chloe couldn't help but smile at the younger girl's blush.

"I may have been listening in as they pulled the gurney in," Amy said quietly, not quite meeting Aubrey's eyes.

"Are you sure it was Beca?" the red head asked, practically praying Fat Amy was wrong.

"They found her I.D. in her pocket," she replied, looking down at the ground. "And I saw her hair."

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her tears at bay. Crying around Aubrey she could handle, they had been friends for years. She wouldn't be seen crying around the other Bellas. Sure, they knew how fragile and naïve she could be at times, and the red head had seen her Bellas vulnerable, but never something threatening their lives.

"Excuse me," a male voice pulled her from her thoughts. The Bellas turned their gaze to the doctor; his white coat had a small blue stain below the pocket where his pens were staying. None of the Bellas had even noticed the stain, they were too focused on the clipboard in his hand.

"You were talking about Beca Mitchell, yes?" as the girls nodded, he continued. "How well do you know her?"

"She's the leader of our singing group, the Barden Bellas," Fat Amy replied, folding her arms over her chest. "Beca's practically our best friend." Chloe found herself nodding furiously at the statement. If it meant she could see Beca she would do practically anything to make the doctor believe she knew the brunette.

"Where are her parents?" he asked, and raised his eyebrow at the Bellas' frowns.

"Her father works at our school. He's a professor and right now he has a class," with a look at the other Bellas Aubrey continued sadly. "We don't really know about her mother."

"Please give me her father's phone number and I'll call him right away," the doctor said, nodding as Aubrey wrote the number on his clipboard.

"Wait!" Chloe said as the doctor started walking away, when he turned his shoulder she gulped. "Can you at least tell us what happened?"

The doctor sighed, and Chloe's stomach began to churn. Would she have to wait for countless hours without knowing anything about Beca's condition? She couldn't deal with it. The red head had to know what was happening to her friend, to Beca. At the thought, tears flowed to her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry. The older Bella had cried too much in the car, and was certain her eyes were red from the effects of it.

"She has a broken femur and her left radius. We've already placed an intramedullary nail into her femur to repair it. She'll have to come back to get it removed." the doctor said, looking at his clipboard, "and a concussion."

"Where is she now?" Chloe was full of questions, but in her mind she deserved the answers, and was certain the other Bellas would agree with her.

"Beca Mitchell is in the room down the hall that way, all the way to the left in the corner," in the back of her mind, Chloe knew how much Beca would love that.

"She's not awake yet," that made the red head's face fall, and she was certain the other Bella's noticed. "The pain meds are in effect, and she should wake up in an hour. If she doesn't wake up in over an hour and a half get one of the nurses at the desk or pushing the button on the side of her bed."

On the last note the doctor left, and Chloe practically rushed to the brunette's hospital room. Aubrey was on her heels, and Fat Amy behind them. In the distance she could hear the younger blonde complaining about having to move so fast, but it practically seemed miles away as she walked into the hospital room.

She was there, and alive. The heart monitor beeped at a steady pace, letting the red head know her heart was stable. Beca wasn't dead, and it was a start. The brunette's leg was straight out on the bed, and her left arm was in a sling. There were small cuts on her head, arms, and legs. Luckily, none of the cuts Chloe saw had stitches or looked like they needed them.

"Oh gosh," the red head heard Aubrey's small gasp from beside her. She turned her head to look at their former leader, and a frown formed on her face. Seeing Aubrey's hand over her mouth, and her eyes filled with anxiety only filled Chloe with more worry.

"I've never really been in hospitals before," Fat Amy said as she walked in. Her voice didn't display the same confidence it usually had, but considering the circumstances it was understandable.

"I haven't seen anyone this bad before," the younger Bella turned to the two older ones, seeming to look for comfort. Of course, Chloe knew Amy would never admit she needed them for comfort.

"Well, we'll stay here until she wakes up," Aubrey said strongly, but the red head knew she was putting on a brave face. "We won't tell the other Bellas until we know more. They'll be curious after a while, and they'll start asking questions. Hopefully Beca will be awake by then."

Fat Amy nodded, looking to Chloe for any sort of input, but the red head said nothing. She simply moved slowly and silently to a chair in the room. For a moment, the red head simply stood, but when she moved Chloe brought the chair next to Beca's hospital bed and sat down. Aubrey and Fat Amy stood and watched as Chloe took the unconscious brunette's hand, holding it tenderly. The smile on her face was compassionate, and the blondes shared a glance before moving to sit beside Chloe.

It was possibly the slowest fifty minutes of their lives as they tried to make conversation about the weather and TV shows. Only several days had passed since they became champions, but it felt like they'd grown farther apart than they'd ever been. The silence was deafening, and after a while Fat Amy simply couldn't take it anymore. She stood, pushing her chair away and walked to the doorway of the hospital room.

"I'm going to get something to eat," she said loudly, pulling the other two from their thoughts. "Anyone want to come with me?"

"I'll go," Aubrey replied quickly, standing and giving a quick look to the red head. "You okay to be here alone?"

"I'll be fine, Aubrey," though her tone was rather annoyed, she appreciated her best friend's concern. "It's not like I'm actually alone."

That forced a small smile from both the blondes before they left. Chloe looked back at Beca, feeling tears burn the back of her eyes. She thought crying was impossible by that point, but seeing the brunette so vulnerable, so small, broke her heart.

"Come back, Beca," she whispered softly, moving to be at the brunette's ear. "Don't go like this. You still have to keep putting songs on the radio."

She'd never gotten the chance to tell Beca she'd heard her remixes on the radio. Of course, that was when Aubrey was still in charge of the Bellas. Chloe had thought about going to Beca's dorm and telling her personally, but assumed the brunette wanted her privacy. Her music belonged to her, and the red head hadn't wanted to intrude. Yet, she wished she had.

After several minutes passed, she felt a small movement in the hand she was holding. The groan that came from the unconscious girl's throat was almost inaudible, but Chloe was sitting so close it was impossible not to hear. She watched Beca's right hand move to her forehead, rubbing it gently. Her eyes opened, but quickly shut again, adjusting to the light.

"Beca?" Chloe said quietly, trying not to upset her head more than it seemed to be. "You're awake."

"Chloe?" the brunette asked slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. When her eyes finally opened to reveal their beautiful brown hue they were full of confusion. She sighed, keeping her hand to her head and shifting in the bed.

Her head was utterly in pain, and the bright lights of the hospital did not help at all. One of her arms felt so heavy, and she could barely move it. She rubbed her forehead gently, trying to relieve some of the pain. The brunette looked at her arm, seeing it was in a cast. Her shoulders immediately tensed as she turned harshly to look at the red head, moving her broken leg.

The hiss that escaped her gritted teeth was obviously noticed by the red head, it was certainly loud enough. Looking into Chloe's blue eyes, she could see the concern. Beca looked around, her breathing becoming fast. The heart monitor seemed to beep faster as her brown eyes met Chloe's.

"Where am I?" she asked, the terror in her voice well concealed, but the red head saw through it.

She watched the older Bella carefully, waiting for her answer. Of course, by that point she didn't need the response. The heart monitor and the sling on her arm were enough information. Shaking her head lightly, Beca felt Chloe's hand on her arm, silently comforting her.

"Chloe, _why_ am I in the hospital?"


	2. Secrets

The constant beeping of the heart monitor was enough to drive Beca insane. If someone didn't shut it off soon the brunette was certain her head would explode. Though, she found herself utterly vulnerable. She barely remembered what happened the night before, besides going to get something small to eat. The last memory she had consisted of getting in the car and hearing one of her songs on the radio.

She put her right hand to her head, considering it was the only one not in a sling. Her leg was pure agony. The tiniest twitch would bring an excruciating amount of pain with it. In the corner of her eye Beca could see Chloe's worried glances. To keep from stressing, the brunette rubbed her temples with her fingers and shut her eyes tightly.

"I must be dreaming," she muttered quietly, opening her eyes to look at the red head. "Or hallucinating, or delusional, or this is a joke, because I can't be in a hospital!"

Beca began to panic. Last time she was in a hospital was not pleasant at all, and from that day she vowed never to go into a hospital of her free will. Seeing Chloe's serious expression told her that this was no practical joke, she was seriously hurt. Her chest tightened, and it became harder to breathe. Memories flooded through her mind, reminding her of previous incidents of pain. Distantly, she could hear the rapid beating of the heart monitor, but considering how deep she had gone into her thoughts she couldn't hear it.

Feeling gentle contact to her cheek brought Beca from her thoughts, and she flinched. Her eyes turned to meet Chloe's, and a sigh escaped her lips. The brunette looked at the ground, breathing slowly to help calm down. She could feel the red head's piercing blue eyes on her, like they were seeing the secrets she'd never revealed to anyone.

It was always different with Chloe. She'd made Beca feel more welcome than she ever had been. Now, under Chloe's gaze, the hair on the back of her neck stood at attention and a small shiver went up her spine. Truth be told, she didn't know what was causing the reaction from her, but the red head's hand on her cheek seemed to keep her steady.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, bringing the younger girl out of her thoughts yet again. "You're spacing."

"Well, my arm's in a sling and who knows what happened to my leg," Beca replied, a glimmer of playful sarcasm in her eyes, "So, I don't really have the answer for that."

"Glad to see you and your sarcasm didn't die in that car accident," the brunette turned to find Aubrey walking through the doorway of her hospital room. Though she'd never admit, Beca was rather glad to have Aubrey there. She was strong, and even when they had their arguments, the brunette couldn't deny her determination.

"Good to know you finally found a sense of humor, Aubrey," she said sarcastically, putting on a mask to hide her pain, but the mask quickly faded as the girl raised her eyebrow. "Car accident?"

"You didn't tell her that part yet?" Fat Amy's voice came from the doorway. Beca watched her sit down, a small piece of pie in a plate in her hands. She couldn't help but smile as the larger Bella ate a bite. "You want some?"

"I'm good, thanks," the brunette replied, shaking her head, "Stop changing the subject. What car accident?"

"So you don't remember it?" Aubrey asked, moving to sit in a chair at Beca's side.

"Was I not making that clear with my constant asking 'what happened'?" Beca said, raising her eyebrow. The girl couldn't help the small smirk at Aubrey's eye roll.

"Well, to put it in a simple way, you were in a drunk driving accident," the older blonde replied. Beca's eyes widened. Drunk driving? She hadn't had any alcohol in months.

"That's impossible, I didn't drink last night," her eyes met Aubrey's, and the small glint of suspicion didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you sure?" as the blonde's brow rose Beca felt anger boil in her stomach, and her heart rate increase.

"Aubrey!" Chloe jumped to the girl's defense before she had a chance to think of a snide comment. "The doctors already said it was the driver who hit her who was drunk."

"I was just checking," Aubrey defended herself, "She shouldn't be drinking anyway."

"Okay, this is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, looking at the two older Bellas incredulously, "I'm leaving!"

"Wait!" Fat Amy said from her chair, her mouth full of apple pie, "They didn't tell you about the steel rod in your leg."

The brunette's stomach churned as she sat up to stare at the younger blonde. Looking at Chloe, she saw her beautiful blue eyes glaring at the larger Bella from beside her. Frankly, she wasn't going to deny the fact that she was angry, but more than ever she was terrified, not that she'd let anyone know.

"A what?" the girl yelled, looking at the other Bellas for an explanation. Her mind was being overloaded, and a slight pain in her head caught her attention, but the girl did nothing.

"You have a way with being gentle, Fat Amy," Chloe said sarcastically, but there was an edge to her voice that specifically said _shut up_.

"Well, did you want her trying to walk out of here?" she replied, looking at the three of them as if they were idiots and taking yet another bite of pie. "This stuff is better than you'd think, you sure you don't want any?"

"Again, this is ridiculous!" Beca yelled, and before anyone could make a move to stop her, the brunette had managed to move her right leg to touch the ground. As she tried to stand, putting the slightest pressure on her leg shot a wave of pain through her. Beca's broken leg was practically on fire with pain as she nearly fell onto Chloe. Luckily, the red head caught her and managed to help her back to the bed.

"I did try to tell you," Fat Amy replied, looking at the brunette as she put her empty plate on the table beside her.

"Probably should've mentioned that first," Beca replied through gritted teeth. The pain in her leg hadn't faded, and she doubted it was going to anytime soon. Putting a hand to her head, she sighed and looked at the ceiling.

She felt the red head's hand slip over hers, intertwining their fingers. Beca didn't want to hurt her, but her leg hurt too much not to do anything. Her grip on Chloe tightened, like she was her lifeline. At the moment, Chloe was the only thing really holding her together. If she weren't there, Beca was certain she would've fainted already.

"We should probably stop dropping big news on her like this," Chloe said, receiving a quick nod from Beca.

"Actually, I should probably get back for classes," Aubrey said, looking at Fat Amy who agreed with her.

"I'll stay here," Chloe said, almost bringing a sigh of relief to Beca. When Aubrey was about to object, the brunette saw the small glare from Chloe and smiled slightly, glad she was so willing to stay with her.

When the blondes had finally left the room it fell unusually quiet, for Chloe at least. The red head stole glances back at Beca, whose eyes were closed as she rubbed her temples. She tilted her head to the side, watching the brunette carefully. Of course, she didn't want to seem strange, but seeing as they were in a hospital Chloe assumed Beca wouldn't mind.

"Staring at me for a reason?" Beca asked, opening her eyes to look at her, a small glimmer of playfulness in her brown hues.

Before Chloe had time to answer the doctor she had seen before entered the room. After calling her 'Ms. Mitchell' Beca quickly corrected him into calling her Beca. He explained Beca's injuries and the brunette simply nodded with what he said, not disagreeing at all. Yet, Chloe noticed something different about her.

The girl was on edge, something she'd seen before but Beca had never seemed so tense, so afraid. What was there to be scared of? The red head knew hospitals could be intimidating, but she'd never seen anyone who seemed so afraid of hospitals.

"Could I speak to you privately for a moment," the doctor said, turning his gaze to look at Chloe. She nodded quickly and put a hand on Beca's arm for comfort.

"Beca," the doctor said politely, "You should get your rest, we won't be long."

Chloe saw the brunette about to argue, but the girl's shoulders relaxed after a short while of locking their eyes together. Before she knew it, Beca's eyes were closed and she was leaving the room. Once they'd stopped walking they had gone well out of Beca's hearing range, but it didn't mean Chloe wasn't worried.

"What's this about?" she asked, fidgeting with her fingers as she stood in the almost empty hallway of the hospital. The white walls and flooring were impersonal, and dreary. It was almost as if the hospital was expected to be a grave.

"Are you close with Ms. Mitchell?" the doctor asked, causing Chloe to arch her brow as he returned to using her formal name.

"Yes, I'm close with her, why?" The red head couldn't help the feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was about to go wrong. She never knew where the sense came from, or why it occurred, but it didn't steer her wrong.

"If her father were here I would be telling him this, but seeing as you are the only one left I have no choice but to make someone aware," her stomach churned, and she crossed her arms over her chest as he spoke. Her arms were almost like a barrier, as if bad news couldn't get through them to touch her heart.

"During surgery we found several scars on Ms. Mitchell's back," he told her, frowning as her eyes widened. "Many of them seem recent, some within the past month."

"The past month?" Chloe asked, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets with fear and surprise. Who could do that to Beca? She was already small, thinner than most girls. Of course, Chloe knew Beca's tough façade still withstood at the school, but she knew her toughness was psychological, not physical.

"Why are you telling me this?" the red head whispered, turning her eyes to look at the doctor expectantly.

"Maybe you can find out what's happening to her and stop it," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "As a doctor, I can only speculate, I can't give specifics. If you figure out what's going on you can stop it."

As he walked away, Chloe's mind raced in a million different directions. All of her thoughts revolved around Beca, as they had been doing a lot lately. When they sang in the pool and the brunette had chosen her to lead the song in 'Just the Way you are', it had her thinking maybe Beca thought about her just as much.

A small smile came to her lips as she thought more about the younger brunette, but it quickly turned to a frown after remembering what the doctor had told her. Quietly, she walked back to Beca's hospital room, horrible thoughts still plaguing her mind. Chloe was about to speak, but after noticing the peaceful look on the brunette's face and the slow pace of her breathing she immediately knew the girl was asleep.

She seemed so peaceful, as if nothing in the world could harm her. The girl Chloe had come to know was anything but peaceful. She was in charge, determined, headstrong, sarcastic, funny, and so many other things Chloe wished she could describe in words. There were so many feelings the red head wanted to share with her, but every time she thought about it fear crept into her thoughts, and into her heart.

When Chloe walked closer a small shade of pink on Beca's back caught her attention. The only way she could see it was that her hospital robe was falling on her back, and though she could see the way the brunette's body was perfectly shaped, the red head had little time to appreciate it.

After pulling the fabric away slowly, and gently as to not wake the girl, she gasped quietly. A scar seemed to run the entire length of her back, accompanied by several other scars of similar and shorter length. Chloe shook her head, going to sit beside the brunette and taking her hand. The older Bella caressed Beca's knuckles with her thumb, silently comforting her as she slept.

Whatever happened to Beca, whatever history she had neglected to share with the other Bellas, with her, she would get to the bottom of it. Anything horrible that was happening in the girl's life would be stopped, Chloe would make certain of it. The promise was noble, and very honorable, and she wasn't quite certain where it came from, but there was a connection between the two of them that the red head wouldn't deny anymore.

"What are we going to do with you, Beca?" she asked the sleeping girl quietly with a smile, "What are we going to do?"


	3. Freedom

Weeks passed after Beca's admittance into the hospital, and the red head seemed to visit her almost every day. At first the brunette found it strange, but quickly welcomed her company. The only occasion where she did not want to see the red head was when she brought the day of schoolwork with her, and even then Beca loved the visit.

Nothing pleased the brunette more than to listen to the doctor telling her she was able to return to Barden. As much as she would have thought going back to where Aubrey was would've been awful, Beca was too ecstatic about leaving the hospital to even care about it. She put her leg to the ground, putting little weight on it as she took hold of the crutch left at the side of her bed. Luckily her right leg was the one broken, that way she could hold the crutch with her arm that was not broken.

Though the pain had diminished, it was not completely gone, and the slightest pressure reminded her as a small wave of agony washed over her leg. A sigh escaped her as Beca shook her head, wondering when her pain would finally end. The brunette scoffed as she realized she had no clothes to leave the hospital with, but a voice brought her away from her anger.

"Look who's up and about," the girl turned to see the red head standing behind her, and her smile widened to see the pile of clothes in Chloe's hands.

"Do you know how much of a life saver you are?" Beca asked, walking over to her, making sure to use the crutch to steady her leg. Seeing the worried expression in Chloe's blue eyes, Beca smiled lightly. "I'm fine. Stop worrying."

"I can't," the older Bella replied, moving closer to her, "It's my job. Besides, if your leg starts hurting again someone has to be around to carry you."

"A skinny twig like you could carry me?" Beca asked teasingly, winking at her. She watched Chloe shake her head, shrugging her shoulders.

Her walls had come up again, and her sarcastic demeanor had returned with them. Beca felt strong, and yet she felt weak. In her world things were falling apart, and anxiety filled her mind. She could never tell the red head what she was worried about, no matter how much she wanted to. Staring into the distance as she thought, the brunette could only wonder about possibilities of the future.

The other Bellas hadn't been to visit her in the hospital, and according to Chloe their victory celebration had been postponed until Beca could get out of the hospital. She'd told the red head it was unnecessary, but she wouldn't hear it. Though, the girl thought it was incredibly nice of them, and she knew no one had ever done anything like that for her, nor would anyone do it again.

"You're going to need help changing, you know?" Chloe said, bringing the brunette out of her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed at the red head, who only had a smirk on her face and a flirtatious glimmer in her eyes.

"No, I won't," Beca replied, shrugging her shoulders and taking the clothes from the red head's grasp. "Shut the curtain."

Watching the red head carefully, the girl smiled as the older Bella did as she was asked, however there was a small twist. Rather than going on the opposite side of the curtain, Chloe stood where she was, her back to the brunette.

"When you need help just let me know, okay?" her teasing attitude almost had Beca arguing she wouldn't need her help, but knowing Chloe, she was bound to be right.

"All right, I need help," the red head could hear the defeat in Beca's voice, more importantly she could hear her frustration.

She turned, smiling at the fact that the brunette had somehow managed to get her underwear on and almost clip her bra. Of course Chloe knew Beca was stubborn, but to know her stubbornness knew no bounds was very amusing. The red head walked over, her footsteps making little sound. When she finally reached the brunette's back she slowly trailed her hands up the girl's back, letting her fingers draw the paths of the scars along her spine.

"What are these?" Chloe asked softly, feeling Beca tense under her touch, and the shudder up the brunette's spine certainly didn't go unnoticed.

"They're nothing," the older Bella raised her eyebrow, hearing the girl let out a harsh breath. "I was clumsy when I was younger."

"Beca-"

"Just help me get dressed," Chloe knew not to push further, hearing as the brunette sounded fearful and frustrated. Before moving to her front, the red head allowed her fingers to drift on the tattoo on Beca's shoulder. "I like it."

Without any other talking from Beca, Chloe managed to put on the brunette's jeans and a button up shirt. Looking into her brown eyes, the woman sighed. Those beautiful brown hues were staring at the ground, and she seemed to be lost in her own world. It was a way she had never seen the girl before, so focused, but so incredibly frustrated. Her eyebrows narrowed in an adorable way the red head had never seen before.

"Beca," she said quietly, trying to get her attention. Yet, when the girl was unresponsive, Chloe knew she had to take drastic measures.

She coiled her fingers into the belt loops of Beca's jeans and pulled her closer, staring into her amazing brown eyes. Immediately the girl was pulled out of her trance, and a faint blush crept to her cheeks. A very large grin erupted on Chloe's lips.

"You're cute when you're frustrated," she paused, tilting her head to the side. "And when you blush."

"How would you know? I'm not blushing," the girl asked, letting a small smirk sneak to her lips. Her eyes remained locked with Chloe's, and she took time to notice each and every shade of blue in them. They were so beautiful; Chloe was beautiful.

The brunette gasped quietly as Chloe's lips touched her cheek, her chest tightening with the strangest and most delightful pressure. She was pulled closer, and when the red head pulled away a grin had completely spread across her lips.

"You are now," Chloe said with a grin as the brunette felt her cheeks grow to a darker shade of red.

Beca turned her head away from the woman, smiling ridiculously. Seeing Chloe from the corner of her eyes, she quickly placed her walls up again. The blush quickly faded from her cheeks and the girl stared at Chloe with an arched brow. Strangely, the red head's smile still persisted. How could she be so joyful? With a shrug, Beca turned and grabbed her crutch, using it to help her walk out of her hospital.

"Need any help?" the brunette turned her head and saw how Chloe specifically slowed her pace in order to stay beside her. She smiled in appreciation, walking out of the hospital doors with an enormous grin on her face.

"Not at all," the girl replied, closing her eyes and allowing herself to fully feel the sunlight. The warmth was almost overwhelming, considering how cold it had been in the hospital ever since she had gotten there, the heat was welcomed whole heartedly.

"Enjoying the heat?" a familiar voice came from in front of her, but even with her eyes closed she could recognize that voice. As she opened her eyes, the former leader of the Bellas stood in front of her, arms crossed over her chest.

"Enjoying freedom, actually," Beca replied, a smirk on her face, "If I didn't know any better I would say you chained me to that hospital bed, Aubrey."

"Maybe I should've," the blonde smiled as she walked over, pulling the younger girl into a light embrace. After pulling away, she put a hand on Beca's shoulder. "Don't expect any more of those."

"Noted," the brunette nodded, turning her head to Chloe. "I get enough from her, anyway."

It was Chloe's turn to blush as the brunette sent a very teasing wink her way. Beca was very proud of the way she could make Chloe blush, and started to wonder what was going on? Why did she care about what the red head thought about her so much? Was there something between them? No, that was impossible. No one ever cared about her that way. Jesse didn't count; he was more like a brother to her than anything, especially when he got on her last nerve.

Yet, as she looked into Chloe's eyes, the girl couldn't help but feel entranced. It was as if she could be lost forever in her blue eyes. They were like the ocean, swirling with her emotions as they came. However, Beca only wanted to see happiness on the red head's face. Joy suited the older Bella well, unlike herself. What suited her best was solitude, and the façade she had created so perfectly to mask the pain of loneliness within.

"Ready to go home?" Chloe asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. The brunette smiled, wondering how many times her own thoughts would be pushed aside for the beautiful woman.

"Absolutely," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I haven't worked on a mix in weeks, I need my laptop back."

"Well, before you plan your late night with your music you should know the celebration for our win is tonight," Aubrey said, interrupting as they walked to the blonde's car. "The others can't wait to see you."

_That's why they didn't visit me in the hospital_, Beca thought to herself, shaking her head slightly. She knew they cared, but her mind had been filled with doubts of people's devotion had been diminished over the years. The constant degrading and dejection had created the cynical whose only escape from the cruel worl around her was music. Bringing herself out of her thoughts, she nodded to Aubrey, letting her know she understood.

The girl stole a quick glance at Chloe, seeing the worried expression in her eyes. Beca's eyes remained firmly planted to the ground, not wanting to face the red head's questions. Which reminded her of a mistake she had made, but of course, many things caused her to remember her mistakes.

How could she have been so stupid as to let Chloe see the scars? Since the day she had received her first Beca vowed never to let anyone see them, never to tell anyone of what they were. There was nothing anyone could do. They were a burden she had to bear, and would continue to bear as long as she needed to. On occasion she would feel a small amount of pain from them, but after a while the pain became a normal part of her life.

Chloe took Beca's crutch and helped her sit in the backseat of Aubrey's car before following her and giving the crutch back. The brunette was, of course, grateful for the action, but found herself exhausted. As much as she wanted to talk to the other Bellas about how things were going, her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own. She managed to lean her forehead against the warm glass, relishing the heat before darkness overcame her.

The red head constantly looked over to the sleeping girl during the car ride. How she could be so tired after spending weeks bedridden in a hospital was completely lost upon her. Still, she couldn't deny how beautiful Beca looked when she slept, and how beautiful she was every second of every day. A moment's hesitation stopped her, but somehow she ended up pushing a strand of her brown hair behind the younger Bella's ear. The small smile crossing her lips was noticed by Aubrey.

"I can see your toner through your jeans, Chloe," she smirked, looking at her through the rear view mirror. "You've got it bad."

"Shut up!" the red head exclaimed quietly, hoping not to wake the girl beside her. "I do not."

"Oh really?" the blonde asked, raising her eyebrow playfully. "So, when are you planning on telling her?"

"Aubrey!"

"You can't hide it from me, Chlo," she laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I know these things."

"I think Beca would disagree with you on that," the red head giggled at the roll of Aubrey's eyes.

"She probably would, but that's not the point. Stop changing the subject, Chlo."

"I don't know when I'm going to tell her, okay? Is that what you want to hear?" At the raise of her voice, she noticed Beca stir beside her. The girl turned over to be facing her, somewhat curling into the seat.

"Well, you should do it soon," Aubrey advised, smirking slightly. "Considering the way she could barely take her eyes off you at the hospital."

"She couldn't take her eyes off me?" Chloe asked in surprise, smiling goofily at the idea. Somehow the day had gotten even brighter, and looking at the clock in surprise she knew the surprise at Beca's dorm would be almost ready. Everything was falling into place, and eventually she would gather the courage to tell Beca how she felt.

It would have to wait until she woke up, of course.


	4. Coming Home

**A/N: It was recently brought to my attention that Beca's eyes are dark blue rather than brown, so from here on out I'll refer to them as hazel, just to avoid confusion. Thanks for all the support! On with the show!**

The girl groaned as she felt the slightest pressure on her shoulder. It was warm and gentle, but it didn't distract from the fact that someone was shaking her shoulder, disturbing her peaceful slumber. Her eyes opened slightly, and as she sat up Beca let out a small yawn. She scanned her surroundings, seeing she was still in Aubrey's car, but the location confused her. Everything was strange, and she'd never seen the place before, but after feeling Chloe's hand on her shoulder and seeing the caring look in her beautiful blue eyes Beca managed to calm down.

"Where are we?" the brunette asked drowsily, holding her crutch tightly, ready to get out of the car. She watched Chloe smile and shrug her shoulders, bouncing her red locks.

"Home," she replied, an incredibly large grin on her face. "Since the year is over you're going to be staying in the apartment with Aubrey and I."

With a smirk Beca looked at the blonde in the front seat. She noticed the way Aubrey shifted in her seat, not looking in the rear view mirror. A small laugh escaped the girl's throat as she leaned back in the seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not happy about having me over, Aubrey?" Beca asked, raising her eyebrow in a teasing manner, earning an eye roll from the blonde.

"I'm just wondering how I'm going to survive having to spend an entire summer with you," she replied, shooting a smirk to the girl in the back seat. Beca simply shook her head and laughed, turning her gaze to Chloe.

"If I'm going to be living with you guys I'll have to get my stuff," Chloe's knowing smile put the brunette on edge, and she knew Chloe was far too happy about having her move in with them.

"We already got your stuff," Chloe replied, the brunette's jaw dropped open as the red head continued. "Well, the girls did, I was too busy visiting you in the hospital."

"You two just had this all planned out, didn't you?" the girl asked, smirking slightly, winking at Chloe.

"It was her idea," Aubrey said, sending a smirk the red head's way, "I told her we should just drop you off at the pound."

"Very funny," the brunette replied, smiling at the blush on Chloe's cheeks. Yet, as she turned her head, Beca wanted her to turn back. She wished she was able to make Chloe smile and blush that way, and hoped one day she would. However, the brunette was fairly certain it would never happen.

Chloe got out of the car first, holding the door for Beca as she put her crutch on the ground, helping to steady her broken leg. When she moved to stand, the crutch fell out from under her, almost sending her toppling to the ground. Luckily, the red head had caught her several inches above the ground, saving her yet another injury.

The girl wrapped her unbroken arm around Chloe's shoulders, managing to stand up straight. Yet, they simply stood in place, the girl's breathing was rapid from the surprise of the fall. She turned her gaze to Chloe, and a small smirk came to her lips.

"You do realize where your hand is, right?" she watched Chloe's eyes move to her hand, and she immediately pulled back, standing several feet away.

"I am so sorry!" Chloe exclaimed, but Beca couldn't help but keep smiling as the woman's blush turned a darker shade of red than it had been before. When the red head tilted her head to the side, obviously confused by the girl's smile, Beca thought she might die of how adorable she seemed.

"I never said I didn't like it," Beca winked, moving to be next to her once again. Chloe's relieved sigh brought yet another smile to the girl's lips, and she couldn't help but think about how happy Chloe made her.

It was like being in a different world. The red head brought so much joy into her life, and she wasn't even sure how Chloe was able to do it. Whenever she was around, Beca could escape from the world she lived in. She wasn't surrounded by people who didn't like her, who didn't even know her well enough to make that judgement. The red head was perfect in every way; it seemed impossible to find a single flaw about her.

She was drawn out of her thoughts with a small slap to the shoulder, but it only caused Beca to smile more. The girl was so focused on Chloe she barely noticed Aubrey out of the corner of her eye walking towards them.

"You are very lucky I like you," the older Bella said, nudging the girl in the side with her elbow.

"Now that you two are finished with your flirting, can we go inside now?" turning to see a very annoyed Aubrey, she couldn't help but notice the smirk the blonde was sending Chloe's way. Beca shrugged it off, still smiling.

"The girls are all waiting for you inside," Chloe said, helping Beca get up the steps with her crutch, seeing as they lived on the second floor of the apartment building.

The brunette simply replied with a nod, putting her walls up again. True, she was happy to be out of the hospital, but the girl knew it couldn't last. No happiness she ever had lasted, especially not something as special as spending time with Chloe. It was something private, something she'd never experienced with anyone else.

In truth, Beca wasn't happy, she rarely was. Not that she'd admit it to anyone else, not even Chloe. Her walls had been built so high and fortified so well around her heart the girl refused to allow anyone into it again. Then her thoughts turned to Chloe, the beautiful red head who somehow managed to sneak through her walls for a short while.

How had Chloe managed to get in? There were no cracks in her walls, no possible way for anyone to get in. Yet, she managed it. Beca was glad for the small time the woman had managed it, but it had to stop. She couldn't be hurt again, and she wouldn't be hurt again. Though, she had her doubts about the fact that Chloe would intend to upset her, the brunette was certain that somehow she would be hurt by Chloe, intentional or not.

"We're here!" Chloe said happily, drawing Beca from her thoughts. The raise of the red head's eyebrow caught her attention. "You okay?"

"Fine," the girl replied quickly, turning her head away. "You going to open the door or not?"

She saw Chloe's shock at her harsh tone, but the brunette couldn't help it. The frustration building within her for being so stupid as to let someone in was overwhelming. It was like she was being possessed by something, and that something was telling her it was okay to trust Chloe Beale. She knew it was wrong, it wasn't okay to trust anyone. The only person Beca could trust was herself, and she'd known that for a long time.

When Chloe finally opened the door she walked in, leaning on her crutch because the pain in her leg was beginning to flare up again. The girl knew she would have to take something, but it could wait. Gasps came from in the room as she walked in, and a forced smile came to her lips. All the Bellas were sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for her to get back.

"Beca!" Fat Amy yelled, rushing as fast as she could over to the small brunette and pulling her into a crushing hug.

"Fat Amy," the girl groaned after a while, "You're crushing my broken arm."

"Sorry about that," the larger Bella said as she let go, putting her hands behind her back. "We're happy to have you back. Now we can have our party tonight!"

"Beca, did you see any hot guys at the hospital?" the shorter Bella wasn't surprised by the fact that Stacie had asked the question, and when she didn't answer the other brunette rose a questioning eyebrow.

"I don't know," Beca replied truthfully, "All the people who took care of me were female nurses and a particular red head."

Almost everyone's glance turned to Chloe, except for Beca. She was determined to keep herself as far away from the woman as possible, but seeing as they were currently living with each other it wan't going to happen. The other Bellas looked to her, small smiles on each of their faces, especially Fat Amy's.

"Okay," the short brunette said after several seconds of just watching them, "What's going on? Why are you all smiling like that?"

"You ruined the surprise, guys!" Aubrey yelled from behind her, walking inside and putting her hands on her hips as she looked at the other Bellas. "Could you not contain your smiles for five minutes?"

"No," Stacie replied, "because we know she's going to love it."

"I'm going to love what?" Beca asked, feeling ridiculous because she was being talked about while she was still in the room.

"You know we didn't visit you in the hospital, right?" Cynthia Rose asked, receiving an eye roll from Beca.

"Unless I was unconscious when you visited, then yes, I know," the girl replied sarcastically, earning a small laugh from most Bellas in the room, including Chloe and Aubrey.

"Well, that's because we were working," Fat Amy said, to which Beca raised her eyebrow.

"To say thank you for leading us to championship and as a get well soon present for your broken leg we-"

"You guys didn't have to get me anything," Beca interrupted Stacie, and earned an eyebrow raise from everyone in the room. "You guys deserve something as much as I do."

"You don't even know what it is yet," Stacie said, smirking at the shorter brunette. "And we're not taking it back. Besides, after you see it you won't want us to take it back."

The girl sighed at the more sensual of the Bella's, shrugging her shoulders as acceptance. Before Stacie could turn around, Beca put a hand on her shoulder.

"You didn't get me lingerie did you?" the shorter brunette asked, earning a shoulder slap from Stacie, all the while Beca had a smirk on her lips.

"You wish I got you lingerie," Stacie winked, stepping away from the couch, "but no."

"Check it out," Fat Amy said, moving everyone away from the desk that they had been hiding beside the couch.

On the desk was her computer and her head phones, but to say Beca was surprised would have been an understatement. There was entirely new, and very expensive DJ equipment on the desk. The brunette walked over to the desk and smiled.

"I've been saving money for this ever since I came to Barden," Beca said, turning to face the others. The smile on her face wasn't as big as the others thought it was going to be, but they didn't know Beca.

"Told you so," Stacie said, earning a small laugh from everyone in the room.

"Thanks, guys," the short brunette said, looking over at them. "This is probably the best gift I've ever gotten."

"Don't go sentimental on us, Beca, because there's one catch to the gift," Aubrey said, coming to stand at the front of the other Bellas.

"Someone come shield me. I think she's about to break my other leg," Beca said, smirking as all the other Bellas laughed, including Chloe.

"No," Aubrey said, silencing them, "You're going to have to make a mix for our party."

"How long do I have to do it?" Beca asked, rather glad that she'd be working on a mix.

"About three hours while the rest of us go get drinks and food," the brunette was about to ask why it would take that long, but honestly she didn't want to know.

"I'll stay here with Beca," Chloe said, making a lump form in Beca's throat. As the others left, Chloe looked over to Beca who had already sat at the desk and put her headphones over her ears. The sigh that escaped her was unheard by the brunette.

They had been getting along so well before they'd gotten back to the apartment. Was it Aubrey that was making her act this way? No, it couldn't have been, otherwise she wouldn't have been joking with the blonde as they were there. The red head was utterly confused, but tried not to let Beca know about it. After an hour and a half of simply pacing, watching TV, and drinking a soda Chloe couldn't take the silence anymore. She walked over to Beca with a chair and sat next to her, pulling the headphones away from the girl's ears.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and staring into the brunette's hazel eyes as they glimmered with confusion.

"Of course not," Beca replied, "Why would you think that?"

"You're sitting here and you haven't said a single word to me since we got here," Chloe said, huffing and shrugging her shoulders. "You were smiling in the car and now you've barely had a smile on your face at all. Did I do something wrong?"

She watched the girl's head turn away, and was very tempted to pull it back. Chloe didn't want to push her, because whatever Beca was hiding wouldn't come out by force, but she was patient.

"You haven't done anything wrong," Beca muttered, earning an eyebrow raise from Chloe who watched as the girl turned her head.

Both of them fell into silence, not knowing what to say to the other. The red head remembered the scars on Beca's back, wondering when she would ask the younger Bella about it, but quickly decided it wasn't the time. Sooner or later Chloe knew she would ask, but for the moment was content to just have the brunette's company.

"Can I listen to what you're doing?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and giving Beca a pleading look, knowing she couldn't refuse.

"Fine," the girl responded after a sigh, plugging in smaller earphones to the second audio jack on her computer and handing them to Chloe. The eager red head immediately put them in her ears and nodded her head as she listened to Beca put the tracks of the songs together.

The woman almost told Beca how amazing the song was, but knew the brunette wouldn't hear her with the headphones in. They were still silent, but with the music in Chloe's ears she could practically hear Beca's emotions with every note. The music was like the core of the girl's being, and seeing the look of pure concentration on her face was absolutely incredible.

Chloe scooted in her seat and leaned her head against Beca's shoulder. The girl tensed, but she didn't move, waiting to see if she would calm down. Eventually she did, and the red head smiled and moved closer to her, curling her body against the brunette's. Her ear was over the red head's left shoulder, so she was careful not to lean herself too harshly against her broken arm.

After taking one of her earphones out, the woman listened to the steady breathing of Beca's heart. A smile crossed her lips, and though she was certain the girl would deny it, out of the corner of her eye she saw Beca smile too.


	5. Surprises

The Bellas had rented out an old building for a night for their victory party. It wasn't anything creepy, much to Lilly's disappointment. Amy and Aubrey had drinks and everyone was drinking, everyone besides Beca, that is. Truthfully the brunette had never been one to party, and that hadn't changed. Of course, she was glad they had won the championship, but that didn't alter who she was. Everything she'd learned over her lifetime told her to stay away from parties and other crowds of people

They were cruel, and though the brunette knew the Bellas weren't like everyone else it didn't mean she wasn't still on guard. She sat in a chair in the corner, listening to her mix blast through the speakers Stacie had brought. Everyone else was dancing, and though no one saw it, a small smile crossed over her lips. The girl crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her seat. After glancing at the clock she sighed, wondering why the party didn't really seem any fun.

Her thoughts turned back to her mixes, wondering what songs she would blend together next. The brunette's talent had been developed over the years, and she'd been very proud of it. Though, Beca never wanted to share it with anyone. Having her mixes play on the radio was one thing, but truly sharing her mixes with someone was something she'd never done before, and something she didn't intend to do anytime soon.

"Beca!" she heard the red head yell as she walked over, sitting beside her. In truth the girl didn't mind the company, but wasn't expecting her to be sober.

"Great party, right?" Chloe asked with a tilt of her head, and the younger Bella couldn't help the small smile.

"It's fine, I guess," when the red head put a hand on her arm Beca felt sparks from their contact. A small shiver traveled up her spine that made her shift in her seat.

"You okay?" Chloe's concern always seemed genuine, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. No one had ever cared, and no one was ever going to care. At least, that was what she had told herself so many times to the point Beca believed it.

"Fine," the brunette replied with a small smile, but had a feeling the red head saw right through it.

She was about to say more, but the small rings of her phone that were barely audible to her began to sound. The girl stood and walked to a quieter part of the house, leaving the red head alone with her thoughts. The older Bella knew she should rejoin the party, have a drink or two, and enjoy herself. Yet, something about not seeing Beca had a good time made her want to help. What was it about that tiny brunette that could send her thoughts reeling?

Usually Beca tensed at contact, and yet she hadn't. In fact, it seemed like she welcomed it. Her cold exterior didn't seem quite as frigid, and the walls around her heart not quite as high. The woman knew Beca was trying to keep her out, not letting her real feelings be shown to anyone. All she could do was wonder why.

Why would a girl so amazing as Beca have to hide whom she really was? Could there really be something so awful, so horrifying about her that the brunette felt she had to be hidden from the world? Chloe had already seen her talents with music and singing, in fact, she herself had convinced the girl to join the Bellas. She'd seen a glimpse of Beca's joy, but it was nothing compared to what the woman wanted to see.

The girl returned, still using her crutch to help her walk. Though, Chloe noticed she was putting more pressure on her leg than the days before. The red head knew how Beca disliked seeming weak, but in her mind the tiny brunette could never look weak. With the way she dressed and her sarcastic attitude, the only one to think Beca was weak would have to be a very stupid or drunk person.

"I have to go to my mom's tomorrow," Beca said quickly, sitting down and turning her head away. The red head raised her eyebrow in confusion, trying to get a better look at the girl's face. She wouldn't turn, she wouldn't stir, and it definitely had Chloe concerned.

"Everything okay?" she tilted her head to the side, confusion and worry clear in her bright blue eyes. As Beca turned to look at her the red head smiled gently, trying to calm the panic in the girl's eyes.

After muttering something about being fine to Chloe, the brunette quickly made her way outside the house, avoiding the eyes of the rest of the Bellas. Luckily, no one else was sober enough to notice her leaving. She wiped her eyes, staring up at the moon as she leaned against a nearby street light. When she looked up, the girl sighed as the light flickered out.

She let herself smile as she stared up at the moon, admiring it's light. Though, not many stars were visible, Beca enjoyed the view. Of course, the girl would never admit it to anyone else. She'd always loved seeing the full moon and stars in the sky. Before the divorce, before everything turned wrong, she and her mother would sit outside on the porch and stare up at the stars. It was back before Beca's mother had changed, and before the first scar has grown onto her back.

Just thinking about it sent her into a panic. Going back to her mother's house, back to that place, was unbearable. Certainly she was going to return with yet another cut down her back. How would she hide it from Chloe and Aubrey? The brunette was already in enough pain without having another cut to worry about. She shook her head, walking up the street, clinging to her crutch so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her breathing quickened, and the girl put a hand to her chest, trying to calm her restless heart.

As Beca heard footsteps walking behind her she shut her eyes, taking comfort in the familiar darkness of her eyelids. She returned to her normal stance, ready to face the person behind her, but wasn't expecting them to wrap their arms around her waist. The brunette was pulled against them, much to her discomfort. Though, after a few minutes she found herself relaxing into the embrace. She opened her eyes to see a familiar head of red hair out of the corner of her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she whispered softly, tilting her head to look at Chloe.

"Making sure you're okay," Chloe said, moving to be in front of Beca. The woman took the younger Bella's hands in her own and frowned. "From what I saw you don't look okay."

"I'm fine."

"Beca," the girl sighed at her chiding, shaking her head at the woman's over protective nature. "You're not fine."

Why did she care so much? What was it about her personality that made Chloe come back? It wasn't as if her father had. He walked out on her, and since that day Beca expected nothing less from others. Through the years her theory had been proven correct. Everyone left, and there was no choice but to accept it.

"What're you thinking?" the brunette's eyes were forced back to Chloe's as the woman put a gentle finger under her chin.

"Nothing," the girl smiled lightly, but the lie was clear in her voice. She knew the red head could hear it, but didn't give up. Usually, the girl was fairly good at lying. After all, she'd done so all her life.

"You're a bad liar, Beca," Chloe smiled, curling her fingers through the belt loop of the girl's jeans.

"Seeing as you can read me like an open book I knew that was bound to come out of your mouth sometime," the brunette winked as Chloe giggled.

Silence surrounded both women as they simply stared into each other's eyes. The girl wondered how it was Chloe's eyes were such a light shade of blue. Though, she knew it suited the red head perfectly. With Chloe's bubbly and kind personality her eyes were bound to be a bright color from the day she was born. Her fiery curls framed her face perfectly, and the brunette couldn't help the way her eyes glanced down to her lips.

"Let's go home," Chloe whispered, carefully breaking the silence between them.

"You actually want to leave a party?" Beca's voice soft and her lips curled into a smirk as she stared at the red head through the darkness. "I thought you were one of the people who liked parties. Besides, you've got Aubrey and the others in there."

"I don't think they'll notice," the red head replied, her voice still soft as silk, but her lips were dangerously close to Beca's. Temptation buzzed in Beca's mind. How she wanted to kiss the red head there, but she couldn't. It would destroy every wall she'd worked so diligently to build around her heart. With each passing second, Beca could feel the heat in her cheeks rising. She saw the red head's smile as the red in her cheeks grew darker, but Beca turned her head away. Blushing had always been a weakness, a sign of feeling she never wanted anyone to see.

She couldn't feel embarrassed, especially not in front of others. Yet, as Chloe's laugh rang through the air Beca couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips. It was short, but full of pure joy, something the girl hadn't felt in years.

"So?" Chloe asked, pulling the short brunette from her thoughts as the red head's hand managed to crawl it's way to Beca's hand that was still in the sling. "Are you coming or what?"

Their faces were mere centimeters apart. The women's foreheads touching in affection, and their eyes constantly drifting to the other's lips. It was Beca who pulled away, much to Chloe's disappointment.

"Beca-"

Chloe's mind turned to a complete blank. All of the complaints and explanations she was about to say were erased. There was no recollection of anything she was about to say. The only thing Chloe's mind could focus on was the feeling of Beca's lips on hers.

Her eyes closed, and she wrapped her arms around the shorter girl's neck. Warmth radiated from every part of Beca's body, and as the red head pushed closer she was protected from the chill of the night. Chloe's fingers found their way into Beca's brown tresses, and their bodies finally flushed together.

When the brunette's lips finally pulled away, the red head watched Beca turn her head to the side. Luckily, they were close enough for Chloe to see the girl's face. A frown tugged her perfect lips, and her hazel eyes seemed so full of shame.

"We should just go home," Beca murmured softly, effectively keeping her eyes away from the red head's.

Chloe nodded, taking the girl's broken arm carefully and leading her towards the car. She made certain her pace wasn't too fast, seeing as the brunette was still on her crutch and would be until the following week. The drive back to their apartment was silent, and seemed to last an eternity. Her mind wouldn't leave the kiss.

After so many months of knowing the girl Chloe thought she would have been the one to initiate the kiss. For one of very few times, the ginger was very happy to be wrong. Beca refused the red head's help getting out of the car, but Chloe had already expected that. They walked side by side, a very uncomfortable silence between them. There were many words, many feelings the red head wanted so desperately to share. Yet, she couldn't risk pushing the brunette away.

"Beca," Chloe called as the brunette walked into the living room, standing beside the couch. "Can you slow down?"

"I'd rather not," just as Beca was about to walk away, the older Bella walked to be in front of her. After listening to the shorter girl's sigh, Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's waist. She could feel the brunette's muscles tense under her touch, just as they always did. When blue eyes found hazel Beca's muscles relaxed, and they stood in comfortable silence.

"We have to talk about it," the red head whispered quietly, causing the brunette to sigh once again.

"Do we really?" Beca asked, a small smirk on her lips as she tried to convince the woman to let her off the hook, unfortunately she was greeted by a shake of Chloe's head.

"Yes, really. You kissed me, remember?" At Chloe's wink, Beca found her cheeks growing red, but she quickly ended her blushing. She pulled away from the red head's arms and sitting on the couch, resting her crutch against a nearby wall. As Chloe sat next to her the frown on her face returned, but she so desperately wanted to be smiling.

Her leg was twitching at an incredible speed, and only after Chloe's hand found its way to her knee did it finally calm down. "I'm sorry," the brunette muttered, "it shouldn't have happened."

"I'm glad it did," Chloe smiled, laughing softly at the look of confusion in Beca's beautiful hazel eyes.

"I- I don't do this sort of thing," the girl was certain her anxiety was obvious to the other woman, but she didn't understand how Chloe could continue smiling.

Beca could only sit still, and feel the pressure in her chest rise as Chloe moved closer to her. She could barely breathe, but it felt good. Her eyes glanced to the woman's lips, but the girl quickly averted her gaze to Chloe's eyes again.

"How do you know unless you try?" Chloe asked, silencing the start of Beca's protest by pressing their lips together in a kiss. It was full of passion, and a sign of promises to be made and kept. It might have even been better than their first kiss.


	6. Old Wounds

Beca opened the door to the cab, using her crutch to support herself. Looking at the white walls and doors of the house, she thought to others the house looked joyful. It was the exact opposite. Going into that house was certain to be a day filled with dread. Fear found its way into the pit of her stomach, and the brunette knew the longer the wait the worse it would be. She would have to go in and get it over with.

After turning the key in the lock with trembling fingers Beca crossed the threshold, a grimace plain on her face. The paint on the walls was chipping away, and there were enough cracks the girl was certain termites made themselves at home. Her lips formed a frown as she walked into the kitchen, seeing her mother. Ms. Mitchell already had a bottle of bourbon to her lips, and was downing it with an incredible speed. Beca cleared her throat, making her mother turn around. The older woman had bags under her eyes, and her clothes looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks.

"Hi, Mom," she murmured, her hazel eyes staring at the grounds as not to look the older woman in the eyes.

"You're late, and you know how I hate it when you're late," when looking at the two it was easy to see the similarities. Beca had gotten her brown hair from her mother, but in the woman's current state her hair was brittle, whereas Beca's was well kept.

"There was traffic and the cab driver wasn't the fastest guy in the world," the girl's voice was low and her muscles tense as she paced the kitchen, staying as far away from her mother as possible. Yet, as her mother made advances towards her Beca made no attempt to move.

"Why didn't you just take your car?"

"I didn't feel like filling it with gas," Ms. Mitchell laughed, almost tripping over her own two feet as she stared her daughter in the eye, which only made the girl more nervous of the hours to come.

"You're too stupid to have a car, anyway," Beca could only stare at her in anger, clenching her fists.

"Coming from the woman who got her license taken away four years ago," the girl grumbled, instantly regretting it. She gently placed a hand to her cheek, trying to stop the stinging pain her mother had caused by slapping her so quickly.

Beca quickly turned her head as the noise of breaking glass caught her ears. Ms. Mitchell was holding the broken bottle of bourbon, using the bottleneck as a handle and letting the sharp edge act as her weapon. In an instant the girl was pressed against the wall, her chest clenching with fear as her breathing became quicker. She swallowed down her cries as the sharp end of the glass was pressed harshly against the underside of her chin.

She kept her eyes to the ceiling as warm blood flowed from the wound, and it took all her power not to cry out. Her mother's eyes bore through her, like the older woman could see everything Beca was ashamed of, everything she hated about herself.

"Why is your arm in a cast?" her mother asked, raising her eyebrow and pressing the glass even further against her skin, "And why do you have a crutch?"

"I was in a car accident," the younger brunette's reply was hoarse and quiet as she forced herself to gaze into her mother's eyes. "My arm's still broken and my leg has a steel rod in it."

"You're even stupider than I thought," the woman laughed, shaking her head at the trembling girl. Her mother's hand fisted into her hair, pulling roughly and shoving her to the ground. Hot tears stung behind her eyes, but she wouldn't allow it. The only power the young brunette held was to hold everything in. She'd been doing so her entire life, and through every second of pain her lower lip was between her teeth until it bled. It was her only power, and Beca would do anything to keep it.

It was six p.m. and everything was ready. The floor was clean; Beca's clothes had all been put in drawers in Chloe's room. The red head didn't find it surprising that the brunette didn't have many clothes. It seemed her style. The strangest part was finding a place for her ear spikes and other ear accessories. For a girl who seemed to not like jewelry, she certainly had a variety.

Something was wrong, and Chloe could feel it. The feeling in the pit of her stomach was one of dread, and her footsteps seemed to grow louder and louder as she paced the carpet flooring. Her mind raced with possibilities. Could she be in another car accident? Could the world really be that cruel to her? Was she right in her cynicism?

"Could you stop doing that?" Aubrey's voice broke through her thoughts, and all the red head could do was raise her eyebrow at her friend. "You're making me dizzy. I'm not sober enough for you to be pacing this fast."

"Aubrey! Be serious!" Chloe exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air as she continued to pace. "She could be in serious trouble! What if the cab broke down? What if she's in another car accident? Beca could be dead."

With a sigh the blonde lifted herself from the couch, taking her friend's shoulders with her hands to stop her from pacing, and to force the other woman to look her in the eye. Chloe sighed, trying to pry herself from Aubrey's grasp, but she wasn't strong enough.

"She's not dead," Aubrey said calmly, tilting her head to the side. "Beca is not dead, Chloe. She'll be here soon. Calm down, okay?"

"You're right," the red head sighed, shaking her head. "You're right, and I'm being really stupid."

"You're being over protective, and to be honest it's pretty sweet."

"You think?" Chloe asked, letting a small smile cross her lips.

"If Beca could see you know she'd probably laugh at you," the blonde said, smirking slightly.

"Oh shut up, Bree," Chloe replied, sitting down on the couch as her friend did so.

The two sat in comfortable silence, and as the minutes flew by the red head found her head drooping. It shot back up within second, but as the blonde put her arms around Chloe's shoulders the younger Bella put her head on her best friend's shoulder. Soon enough, the blonde found herself smiling down at her sleeping friend, waiting for the she would have to wake her for Beca's arrival.

Stacie, unlike the two older Bellas, was not in her apartment. She had recently visited her favorite club, and flirted with far too many men to count. It wasn't as if she wanted to either. Her days were filled with fun and opportunity, and when her door was knocked on she certainly answered. Although, she wondered why the other Bellas didn't understand. She shrugged and continued onward.

The tall brunette smiled as she walked up the street, she wasn't certain why she was smiling, but it just wouldn't go away. It wasn't as if anything or anyone at the club she'd done was interesting enough to hold her attention. She pulled her phone from her pocket, laughing to herself as she looked at the time. Almost eleven p.m., the night had only just begun.

A noise brought the tall woman's eyes from her phone, only to find a taxi pulling up several yards away. Her stomach boiled with delight, what if it was a man? What if it was an attractive man? That would certainly make her night. Much to Stacie's disappointment, a short woman got out of the yellow car. From the distance the Bella could see her ear spike, her brown hair... and her crutch.

"Beca!" she yelled, smiling as she ran to catch up to the shorter girl. "You didn't tell me you were coming he-" Her thoughts were cut off as she saw the blood on the shorter girl's neck, and the blackness surrounding her eye. Stacie watched Beca try to walk away, but seeing as how the smaller Bella could barely put any pressure on her broken leg, it was a pointless effort.

"What happened to you?" when Beca didn't answer the taller brunette sighed. "I'm calling Aubrey."

"What? No! I'm fine!" Beca's yelled response startled her for a moment, but Stacie shook her head as she pulled out her phone. To make sure the shorter girl didn't go anywhere, the taller Bella put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place.

"Stacie?" Aubrey's dazed voice answered from the other line, "Why are you calling us this late?"

"Aubrey, it's Beca," Stacie rushed, "She's here and she can barely walk. You need to come pick her up."

"We're on our way," before the tall brunette could reply Aubrey had hung up, but it certainly didn't surprise her.

"Aubrey, Beca can barely walk! I told you something horrible happened!" Chloe shouted, watching the streets blur out her window as she covered her face with her hands. "What are we going to do?"

"Chloe! If you don't calm down I will turn this car around and leave you back home!" the red head stared at her friend in astonishment, but after a sigh the blonde seemed to calm down. "Beca's hurt, Chloe. She's scared, even if she won't admit it. What she doesn't need is your fear added with hers."

"Okay," she replied meekly, her eyes trailing to her feet, no longer interested in the blurred scenery.

"She'll be okay, Chloe," she heard her friend say, but her response was a shake of her head.

"That's what you said last time, Aubrey."

Silence greeted the two until they arrived. Chloe watched as Aubrey immediately exited the car, while she took a moment to search for the short brunette before getting out. As the blonde stood next to her Chloe gave her friend a curt nod before going to sit on a bench next to Beca while Aubrey went to Stacie.

The girl's head was turned from her, and her knuckles were white as she held her crutch. Just watching Beca made Chloe nervous with the way her leg was twitching and her eyes wandered from place to place. The only spot Beca's eyes didn't land was where Chloe wanted them to be, on her. The red head could hear the conversation going on between the other Bellas, and it wasn't going on as well as she had hoped.

"She hasn't said anything," Stacie told the blonde softly, "Nothing. Zip. The only thing she did say was not to call you."

It stabbed her like a knife. Why wouldn't Beca want their help? Was it pride? Of course Chloe knew the brunette was stubborn, but to refuse help in a situation so great? Slowly and carefully, the woman put her hand on Beca's arm, but after the girl's violent flinch she pulled away.

"Beca," no response, "Beca, it's me. It's okay."

The red head was only greeted by a shake of the girl's head. As she tilted her head, Chloe was able to see the stains of dark red on Beca's neck. With a sigh she moved closer to the girl, who turned her gaze to the ground. Her hazel eyes were stained with pain, and from what she could see, Beca's body was littered with small cuts and bruises.

"Want to go home?" Chloe asked, a small smile forming on her lips as the brunette finally turned to look at her. The red head held out her hand, looking into the hazel eyes she had grown to love. "Come on."

Her thoughts raced, and everything almost seemed unreal. She wasn't asking questions. How could the red head not be asking questions? It was in her nature to be curious, she had barged in on her shower, after all. Yet, there she sat, and for the first time in over six years she was offered a lifeline. Beca nodded, and quickly put weight on her crutch, using it to help her stand up.

Chloe was immediately at her side, and as the woman's hands were on her waist the brunette flinched. However, when the older Bella didn't pull away, she nodded to her and limped her way to the car. Every step sent a shock of pain through her body. Her back, her neck, her leg, and her arms were experiencing a pain they hadn't felt in a long time.

It hadn't been this bad since she was fifteen, and after leaving for college it was one of the few things she enjoyed about the place. She didn't have to go through the pain, at least, not until recently. Beca shook her head, pulling herself from her thoughts. Seeing Chloe's concerned stare she gave the woman a small nod, letting her know she was all right.

Of course, Beca knew she wasn't all right, and that the other Bellas wouldn't believe it either. Once the brunette had finally managed to seat herself in Aubrey's car, which she finally realized how annoying it was that the car was shorter than her, Chloe found her way next to her. The woman barely took half the time she had to get inside, but in her own way, Beca found it slightly amusing.

Taking a moment to look over at the red head, Beca saw her hand offered to her again. With only a moment's hesitation the brunette placed her hand in Chloe's looking up at her. When their fingers intertwined, her mind was specifically on Chloe. How could it not be? The woman was gorgeous, practically a goddess on Barden campus.

The car door opened, and she jumped, looking to see what was going on. Though, she was distracted by Chloe's squeezing her hand.

"It's fine," the girl sighed, turning her gaze back to the red head. "It's just Aubrey."

Aubrey let her eyes wander to the rear view mirror. When she told Chloe to be strong she didn't quite realize how good her friend would be. A small smile crossed her lips at the sight of the two holding hands, and as Chloe's hand rubbed Beca's arm in a comforting way the blonde started the car, driving away faster than she had meant to.

Throughout the drive Aubrey found herself staring to the backseat, constantly checking on the short brunette. Beca's head rested against the back of the seat, and the red head's blue eyes were constantly on her, making sure she was all right. Not a sound was made as they rode, not even when they arrived at the apartment. Yet, as Aubrey stared into the backseat again, it seemed like the two were having a conversation with their eyes.

"Beca, do you need any help?" she didn't want to sound awkward, but it would be rude not to offer.

"No," the girl said softly, "I'll be fine." Though, the blonde didn't quite believe the statement, she watched the girl get out of the car. Chloe was at her side, and as Chloe's hand found a perch on Beca's back the girl flinched, quickly pulling away.

"Don't do that," she muttered quietly, putting almost all of her weight on the crutch. Aubrey watched Chloe quickly hold her hand in the air, but her eyes widened.

"Oh my-" the red head's mouth was instantly shut again when she saw Beca looking at her, and Aubrey sighed. Chloe's hand was coated with a thin layer of blood. Quickly the two older Bellas led the girl back to the apartment, letting her get into the shower on her own, seeing she didn't want the company.

"What are we going to do, Aubrey?" the red head asked, wiping the blood from her hand with a wet towel. "Should we take her to the hospital?"

"I doubt she wants to go back to the hospital, Chloe," Aubrey moved to be beside her, putting an arm around her best friend's shoulders. "Besides, I think what she needs is you right now."

"Me? Why would she need me?"

"Chloe, Beca's always alone, and considering you two left the party together last night I'd make a bet that she actually wants to be around you," the blonde sat on the couch, patting the space beside her for Chloe to sit down. Luckily, the red head did as gestured and put a head on Aubrey's shoulder.

"You noticed that, huh?" the smile on her face hardly went unnoticed by the blonde, but she made no comment.

"Neither of you were there the next morning, so I assumed you did. Besides, it didn't surprise me."

"Why not?" the blonde smirked, raising her eyebrow.

"Your toner."

"Wha-"

"Would you stop trying to deny it? We both know you have one and you're distracted by it. So stop keeping it from yourself and from Beca. She deserves to know, and frankly, she has one for you too."

"How do you know, Aubrey? Since when are you good at reading Beca?" Chloe's smile was enormous; the mere concept of Beca having a liking for her was incredible. The girl was quiet, shy, and reserved. The red head knew she rarely trusted anyone, and to be one of those few people felt like an honor.

"I just know these things," Chloe laughed, but before she could reply the two heard the shower's faucet turn off, lighting a signal in their minds.

"Go take care of her," Aubrey said, earning an eyebrow raise from Chloe. "I'll be in my room asleep if you need me. It's been a long day."

"Night, Bree," she called before walking into her room which connected to the shower Beca was using. The brunette finally emerged ten minutes later wearing sweats and an oversized t-shirt.

She walked over, reaching up to Beca's neck. Her fingers lightly traced the cut on the girl's neck. The blood had been washed off, but as she took a close look at the brunette in front of her Chloe could clearly see she was exhausted. Bags had formed under her eyes, and she seemed much smaller than her usual petite form. Feeling Beca's gulp under her fingertips caused her to smile and pull her hand away slowly. Although the silence between them was almost deafening, the small ways Beca would communicate were heard.

"Tired?" she asked, tilting her head at the brunette and shrugging her shoulders when Beca answered with a nod.

"Come on, let's go to sleep."

"I'll take the couch," Beca murmured, moving slowly towards the living room only for the red head to stop her. With a shake of her head Chloe put a hand on Beca's chest.

"You're not sleeping on any couches for a long time," slowly they walked backwards until the back of the girl's legs made contact with the edge of the bed. "You and I are going to be sleeping here."

Beca's cheeks turned red with her flush, and Chloe couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. "You're sure?" the brunette asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't mind the couch."

"No couch!" Chloe exclaimed, pushing the girl so she was sitting on the bed, expecting to see a look of amusement in her eyes, but all Chloe could find was confusion. "I'm not letting you sleep on the couch because it's totally not as comfortable as this, and I can tell when you have to crack your neck in the morning."

For the first time the entire evening, the red head saw a smile creep onto the girl's face, but it disappeared as soon as it came. They sat, staring into each other's eyes. Somehow the brunette managed to show what she was feeling through those beautiful hazel eyes. Now, all the red head saw was pain and fear. Of course, the young DJ's face showed the exact opposite. She was stoic, not portraying any emotion or feeling whatsoever. For Beca, her normal was her usual smirk and sarcastic attitude, pushing away pain was part of her personality.

Chloe was about to speak, but when Beca finally lied down to put her head against the pillow she sighed. Of course she would give in just as she was about to talk. It only made the woman giggle softly and smile, but she noticed how Beca was lying. Her body was as curled into a ball as it could be, considering the steel rod still remained in her leg. She sighed, shaking her head slightly as she moved to be beside her.

Barely ten minutes had passed before Chloe could hear Beca's deep breathing, and see the slow rise and fall of her chest. Without really thinking about the decision, her arms wrapped around the girl's midsection, pulling her closer. Hearing the groan from Beca's throat seemed absolutely adorable to her, especially since she'd never heard anything like it from her.

In her arms, Beca turned over slowly. Her head eventually rested on the red head's shoulder, and her arm draped over her stomach, the arm that wasn't broken of course. Chloe smiled as she stared down at the brunette, practically memorizing the peace on her face. It was a rare moment, but the red head completely understood.

Through the day Beca would hide her pain, but it lied in wait. It seemed to long for the day it would return to haunt her. Yet as she stayed in Chloe's arms, sleeping peacefully, the woman kept every fear out of her mind. Even in her sleep Beca could feel Chloe's warmth beside her, heat radiating from her body like a wave of comfort and serenity. Her pain melted away for the few hours of blissful sleep, but when the sun rose so did her suffering.

**A/N: A longer chapter and a little look into Beca's life. We're starting to develop some Bechloe here (finally, right?). There's definitely going to be more fluff in upcoming chapters. Let me know what you think and I hope you're enjoying it!**


	7. Starting Now

Chloe's eyes slowly drifted open, groaning softly as the sun's rays floated through her window. She moved to sit up, but felt a weight on her shoulder that pressed her down again. A smile tugged her lips as she saw the head of brown hair resting on her shoulder and the arm that was draped over her stomach. Moving very carefully as not to wake her, she began running her fingers through the girl's brown locks. Her fingernails lightly scratched her scalp, resulting in a content sigh from Beca.

"Morning Chlo-" Aubrey's voice loudly called as the blonde walked into the room.

"Shh! Aubrey!" she whispered, glaring at her friend as Aubrey put a hand over her mouth. "Shut the curtains... and the door."

The red head listened to her friend's quiet apology and watched as she silently shut both the curtains and the door. As the blonde sat on the floor, Chloe couldn't help but feel bad there wasn't a space on the bed for Aubrey to sit. She tilted her head as the blonde's eyes landed on Beca, who merely slept without a care.

"She looks peaceful," Aubrey commented, keeping her voice in a soft whisper as not to wake the brunette. Chloe's eyes turned back to the brunette, still running her fingers through her hair. "She does."

"How long do you think she'll sleep for? I bet you ten bucks she won't wake up before noon," after a glare from Chloe, the blonde quickly attempted to hide the smirk on her face. "I"m just saying."

Before she could respond Beca groaned. As the girl nestled closer into the red head's side Chloe glared at the blonde. "If you wake her up I'll hurt you."

"You're a little tangled at the moment," Aubrey said with a smirk, "I think I'm safe." Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed, "Just get out before you wake her up."

"I am so never letting this go," the blonde winked before leaving the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

She still ran her fingers through Beca's dark hair, waiting patiently until Chloe felt the girl stir and watched as she opened her hazel eyes. "Morning, sleepyhead." The brunette sat up, leaning her back against the headboard so they were sitting together. "Morning."

"You sleep okay?" Chloe raised her eyebrow as the girl chuckled, "You would know better than me. After all, I was sleeping on you." Without hesitation, the red head gently placed her hand on Beca's cheek, moving so the brunette looked at her. A sigh escaped her, and her blue eyes were full of sorrow as she looked at the bruising around her right eye.

"It's nothing," the girl pulled away, turning to look at the wall. It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate what Chloe was trying to do, but she'd already been through it multiple times. Beca didn't need sorrow, or pity. She needed it to be over.

"Well, it doesn't look like nothing, Beca," the brunette didn't turn back, because she knew what Chloe was about to say. "Do you want to go to th-"

"No," she stood, trying not to put weight on her pained, broken leg. "I'll be fine. I don't need to go to the hospital, okay?" Her reaction was harsher than she meant it to be. Yet, she didn't see Chloe flinch. "Okay," she managed to relax, but she was too confused to be completely calm. As the red head walked over to her, Beca tried to turn her head away, but found she couldn't. For whatever reason, her eyes were drawn to her.

"We won't go to the hospital," the girl gulped her relief, and was about to let out a sigh when Chloe's hand touched her shoulder. Without thinking, she immediately flinched, and regretted it. "You are going to use your crutch." She smiled, taking her crutch from the woman who was holding it out to her. Still, after everything she'd been through, and the nights she'd begged whatever higher power there was to make it stop, someone was still looking out for her. "Thanks."

With her crutch, Beca didn't have to put weight on her leg. The steel rod wasn't being removed until the next day, and she was certainly glad of it. The girl wouldn't need the crutch and her arm wouldn't be in a sling. Her life would go back to normal, or as normal as it could be. She was drawn from her thoughts by the slight shiver in her spine.

After turning her head over her shoulder Beca could see Chloe, and she could feel the red head's fingers traversing her spine. With a sigh the girl turned her head forward again, trying to ignore the feeling. Every muscle in her back tensed. Her mind told her to run, and it took all of her will to stay in place.

"Can I see them?" she heard Chloe almost talk again, but knew she didn't need to. The girl knew exactly what the red head was referring to: the cuts on her back. Beca thought for a minute, trying to consider the consequences of letting her see, of letting her in. She sighed, nodding her head. "I don't see why not."

It was painfully slow as Chloe pulled her shirt up her back, and all Beca could do was wish for it to be over. Though, it wasn't as bad as she first expected. As the chill of the air hit her back the girl shivered, but was glad when the red head didn't pull her shirt above her mid back. Chloe's fingers ghosted over the scars, brining a tiny amount of warmth to her skin, but when they came in touch with the more recent cuts Beca flinched. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," it was an immediate response, but she meant it. Chloe didn't mean to hurt her, unlike most people in her life. Only several seconds later her shirt was back to its original position and Chloe stood in front of her.

Beca's gaze turned to the ground, not wanting to look the red head in the eyes. She didn't want to feel those blue hues searching her soul, because it seemed like Chloe could see right through her. Somehow, someway, the red head managed to know how she was feeling, even when everyone else didn't. Even through the corner of her eyes, Beca could see her kind smile. "I will never hurt you, Beca." The girl smiled slightly, finally looking her in the eyes. Their bodies were inches apart, and their faces even closer. Her hazel eyes trailed to Chloe's lips before searching those beautiful orbs, only finding more compassion than she could ever imagine.

"Somehow I doubt that," Beca whispered, letting her lip curl in a half smile. Her fear was real, hidden, but real. Chloe had seen more than anyone else had and she didn't run away. Why didn't she leave? The real question was, could she have handled it if Chloe had? Although she didn't intend to, Beca shook her head, trying to push every thought of Chloe leaving out of her mind. "I'll just have to prove it to you."

She raised her eyebrow, tilting her head and trying to understand what Chloe meant. The girl felt Chloe's arms wrap around her waist, and before Beca had time to protest her lips were caught in a kiss. Her eyes widened, and her body became completely rigid, but after closing her eyes and allowing herself to be consumed by the sensation, the brunette relaxed. She moved her arm from holding her crutch to wrap around the red head's neck.

Distantly, she could hear her crutch falling to the ground, but Beca didn't need it. Chloe was her balance, her safety, her everything. She was pulled closer, and as their bodies flushed together the girl sighed into the kiss. Warmth traveled through her petite frame, and with Chloe's arms around her she felt so safe. It was a feeling she never wanted to let go of, and only when she needed oxygen did Beca pull away.

Of course, the red head wouldn't allow her to completely be away. Their foreheads rested together, and Beca's eyes closed. She welcomed the sensation of darkness, her only connection to the world were Chloe's arms around her waist. She felt Chloe's lips on her cheek, and as much as the girl wished she could stay that way forever, it had to end. With a sigh, Beca opened her eyes and pulled herself away, but left herself in Chloe's arms.

"Like I said, I won't hurt you, Beca. You just need to give me a chance to show you," the brunette smiled, nodding her head. "Okay, show me."

"Really? Just like that?" Seeing the red head smile only made Beca's smile wider. "It wasn't just like that. I thought for a while." The woman's arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in a tight embrace. She clung to the woman's shirt, holding her tightly until she winced. "Chloe, you're crushing my arm."

"Oh!" the red head immediately pulled away, a blush on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Beca. I didn't hurt you did I?" The simple fact that Chloe cared if she was okay touched the girl's heart. "No," she replied with a shake of her head. "You didn't."

As Chloe released a sigh Beca laughed, shrugging her shoulders at the woman. How was it that she had managed to meet the most amazing person in the world? Did she deserve to be so close to Chloe? Probably not, but Beca was glad either way. When she was handed her crutch Beca said a quiet 'thank you' and stood in place, wondering what to do next, but as usual Chloe had the answer.

"Listen, I've been thinking about something, about us," Beca raised her eyebrow, allowing her lips to curve into a smirk. "You've been thinking about me have you?"

"Not just about you, Beca. No need to be so self centered."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear a word you said seeing as I'm still very focused on the fact that you've been thinking about me. What goes on in that pretty red head of yours?"

"Wouldn't you love to know," Chloe winked, sighing and wrapping her arm around Beca's shoulders. "Look," her tone became serious, and the brunette knew not to joke. "Considering we just kissed, I was thinking after you get the rod out of your leg we could go out... like, on a date."

A date? Chloe Beale asking her out on a date? Was there something wrong with the world, or something right? What had happened for her to deserve such a joyous thing? She thought and thought, but couldn't come up with an answer. Chloe had just asked her out by her own choice, and how could she resist a beautiful red head.

"I'd like that," Beca finally replied, feeling the warm blush in her cheeks. "I'd like that a lot, actually." Chloe jumped up and down, pulling the girl in for another embrace. "Have I told you how amazing you are today?"

"Considering it's only," the brunette looked at the clock, "Eleven AM? Wow, I woke up early today." She felt Chloe laugh against her as she pulled away. Beca winked, doing everything she could to keep the smile on the red head's face. "You may have mentioned it already."

"Well, you're amazing," the red head moved forward, placing another peck on the girl's lips. Though, one small kiss turned into a deeper kiss as they held each other in place, not even registering the door opening.

"I'm guessing this is a bad time," the two immediately pulled away and the red head started blushing, making Beca smile. "Aubrey!" Chloe yelled, glaring at her friend. "Could you pick a worse time to barge in!"

"Are you sure you want her to answer that?" Beca asked, looking at the blonde and giving her a wink, earning an eye roll from Aubrey. "I'm not going to answer that anyway. So, are you two finally going out."

"Aubrey!" Chloe's blush turned an even deeper red, whereas the brunette merely nodded her head. "Not yet. Why? Jealous Aubrey?"

"Not at all, Beca," the blonde smirked, "I'm just glad you both have your toners under control."


End file.
